The information described in this background section is not admitted to be prior art.
Systems employing high energy electromagnetic radiation within certain wavelength ranges use collimators and filter devices to control the propagation direction, size, shape, intensity, and dynamic range of an electromagnetic radiation beam (e.g., an X-ray beam or a gamma-ray beam). A collimator, for example, generally comprises a structure made of a material (e.g., lead or lead alloys) that absorbs electromagnetic radiation within a certain wavelength range (e.g., 0.01-10 nanometers for X-rays). A collimator comprises an aperture in the absorbing material through which electromagnetic radiation can propagate. A collimator, for example, can be physically located between an X-ray source and a target to direct a collimated X-ray beam onto the target.
Similarly, an electromagnetic radiation filter generally comprises a material that at least partially absorbs electromagnetic radiation so that some incident radiation is absorbed and the remainder passed, thus decreasing the intensity and dynamic range of an incident electromagnetic radiation beam. An electromagnetic radiation filter, for example, can be physically located between an X-ray source and a target to control the intensity and dynamic range of an X-ray beam incident on the target.
It would be advantageous to provide variable and dynamic control over the propagation direction, location-on-target, size, shape, intensity, and/or dynamic range of electromagnetic radiation such as, for example, X-ray radiation and/or a gamma-ray radiation.